Surface Water Flow Redistribution Processes: Toolibin Lake Biodiversity Recovery Catchment

The Centre for Ecohydrology and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) have established a collaborative research program to investigate the movement of water and salt through the catchment. The Toolibin Lake catchment is an "A" class reserve and listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. The lake is managed by DEC, and their management actions are aimed towards optimising the lake environs as a healthy and resilient freshwater ecosystem. Central to optimising ecological conditions in Toolibin Lake is understanding the movement of water and salt through the landscape.

The Centre for Ecohydrology established and operates a high resolution surface water gauging network in the catchment, and monitors the movement of water and salt at over 25 sites in the catchment. Understanding the generation of runoff and the water quality in different landscapes found in the catchment is essential for both landowners and Natural resource managers. On-farm planning of water harvesting opportunities and preventing degradation from hydrological processes such as salinity, waterlogging and erosion requires data on water movement in the landscape. Quantifying water movement in the landscape is also important in understanding how surface and groundwater interact, and how water quality and quantity reaching Toolibin Lake can be optimised.

Contact: Associate Professor Neil Coles

Lake Toolibin from the air. Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Measuring water depth

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